FYI.
https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/11/22/2...port-travelers
New York City’s local airports expect to see the most travelers in two years this week — but flyers should brace for long waits at taxi stands.
An analysis of Taxi & Limousine Commission data by THE CITY shows the number of yellow taxis plunged from 11,302 in September 2019 to 6,218 two years later — a 45% drop.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has repeatedly flagged the shortage of taxis at Kennedy Airport this month, sending out tweets encouraging travelers to “visit the Welcome Center” at any given terminal for help with “alternate transportation options.”
Manini Gupta, who lives in Greenwich Village, said she weighed her choices — including taking the AirTrain to the subway or booking a trip with a for-hire vehicle service like Uber or Lyft — before deciding to wait on a long taxi line Sunday evening at JFK’s Terminal 4 following a flight from Paris.
“This is like the most affordable way to get out of JFK if you’re not going to take the AirTrain,” Gupta, 34, said while waiting on a projected 25-minute line. “So for me, I would prefer to take this if I can, it’s just very annoying.”
No Money at the Airports
The taxi shortage at the airports partly stems from cabbies being able to make more money by picking up street hails in Manhattan and other parts of the city, said Michael Woloz, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, which represents thousands of cab owners.
“It’s just not as financially lucrative right now to do the airports,” Woloz said, citing driver waits at airport taxi holding lots. He also noted that surge pricing by ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft is driving more passengers back to hailing cabs on the streets.
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